Takayama Castle (Aki)

Architecture, patrimoine et histoire · Préfecture de Hiroshima

Takayama Castle, at Hongō in present-day Mihara, was the cradle of the main (Nuta) branch of the Kobayakawa clan. Its enclosures stretch along two east-west ridges separated by a valley, with terraces of almost equal height on either side: according to Hiroshima University, this layout made it possible to lure the enemy into the valley and catch it in a pincer from both flanks, a remarkable tactical design. The Kobayakawa clan, descended from Doi Tōhira, steward of the Nuta estate, already held a castle here in the period of the Northern and Southern Courts. In 1550-1551 Kobayakawa Takakage, son of Mōri Motonari adopted by the main branch, entered Takayama, but as early as 1552 he moved his seat to Niitakayama Castle, facing it on the opposite bank of the Nuta. Both sites, visible from the San'yō railway line, have been designated since 1957, together with Mihara Castle, as the "Kobayakawa clan castle sites". A trail of about 1 hour 10 minutes round trip climbs from Hongō Station.